Grand View Park(Daguan Park)

The Grand View Park(Daguan Park) is near the Dianchi Lake, located at the terminus of Daguan Road in the southwest of Kunming city.

The Park Scenic Area includes the three-storied Grand View Pavilion, which provides a spectacular view across sparkling Dianchi Lake to the distant Western Hills, and some winding corridors, bonsais, rockeries, trees and porches, willowed causeways, arch bridges, and archways centering around.

Grand View Pavilion was built in 1980 and the golden roof made it dazzling in the verdant trees. Like many other ancient Chinese architectures, due to the wars and the change of dynasties, the pavilion also restored several times. The pavilion and the square we see today were built in 1883.

While entering Grand View Park, a long antithetical couplet may catch your eyes. This couplet is one of the most valued treasures in Yunnan written by a famous scholar in Qing Dynasty. It has 180 characters divided into two parts: the first part describes the charming landscapes in Grand View Park and the second part reviews the 2000 years' history of Yunnan.

The other sceneries like Santan Yingyue, Louwailou and Lu Garden are beautiful places also. Santan Yingyue is a pool with three stone towers which divides the pool into three parts. Therefore when there is a moon in the sky there are three moons in the water; Louwailou is a stone pavilion built like a ship. Standing on it you can see Santan Yingyue on the right and the ocean of grass on the left, Dianchi Lake in the front and levee behind; in the south of Grand View Park is the Lu Garden which was a private villa in 1937, with roses, weeping willows and oleanders everywhere. Lu Garden looks like a little peaceful fairyland which is hiding in the corner of the Grand View Park.